Sunday, November 30, 2014

A lot of us cooked a turkey this week. We probably ate some too. (Sorry, all you people on the other side of the world. You might have missed the feast). These were the herbs I used when I made the stuffing. Did L-Tryptophan have you drowsy and non-productive? Not here. It's been very productive here. Lots of shipping, boxing up, and such. Trunk shows are being shipped and lots and lots of you took advantage of our sale atEtsy.

This sale is still on for another 24 hours - Just use the coupon code HOLIDAY20 for a 20% discount on everything.

Did you venture out on Black Friday? Can't say I did - but I did do some damage online.

I received my Nightingale quilt back from France. It's in the current issue of Quiltmania Magazine. Sadly, I haven't gotten my issue in the mail yet. Fingers crossed it arrives tomorrow. One day of snuggling with it and it is back out on a trunk show... My quilts travel more than me.

My week doesn't get any slower. I hope to start binding Mrs. Billings in a day or so!!!!! I'll have pictures of that next week. Before that, Polly and I are off on a little adventure next weekend. We'll keep you posted.

Oh, and for all of you doing the Austin Bluebird Sampler Block of the Month - and all of you who will soon start it - I'm going to do a little tutorial on each month starting in January. Tutorial probably isn't the best description. Maybe just a few tips, some interesting facts, and whatnots along with pictures of some of the construction. We'll soon be getting in a few kits in December - as will many of your favorite online and brick and mortar shops. By the end of December it won't be hard to find.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Like most of you, this week has been spent doing many, many things. I've been prepping for the big feast - and catching up on projects.

I made some pinwheels for a surprise future project.

I cut lots of fabric for our Austin Bluebird Sampler Block of The Month. I will be mailing out Month 6 tomorrow. Most of you will get on Saturday, but a few of you will receive it on Monday. The mailman takes a holiday too.

Here are the kits being prepped for mailing. I needed to get these done today because we have plans for this large dining table on Thursday.

We've had some questions about The Austin Bluebird Sampler and how to sign up. Our very limited subscription is full and is in the 6th month. BUT - it is being made available for everyone else! Moda Fabrics will start shipping this fabric next month and that means you can get this kit - or BOM from many, many shops. Check out your favorite local shop and see if they are doing it. You can sign up for the 12 installment Block of the Month - or just buy it all at once in a kit.

We will have the kits on our website as soon as they ship - probably late December or early January. Some shops have a sign up list right now - again just google it or call your local shop.

Hopefully by the time they are here - we will have a new website. Fingers crossed!

In anticipation of the coming Austin Bluebird kits, the new website, and of course - holiday shopping...we are having a sale in our Etsy store right now and it will run until midnight on Cyber Monday - December 1st. Just click on our Etsy store and when in the checkout put in

HOLIDAY20

for a 20% discount on everything in the shop. This is our little holiday gift to you. Thanks, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

It's seems like bad form to keep apologizing every time I make a blog post, but I'm doing it again. It has been too long.

There has been a lot of catching up on projects, planning new ones, and basically just getting all my ducks in a row...

My drafting table has been getting a work out and I have some fun new projects planned when our new fabric lands on our doorstep. Whee!

Here is how I have been spending my evenings after all the "work" has been done....

The end to Mrs. Billings is fast approaching. I have half of the last border done.

This is exactly how I left it last night before I went to bed. No cleaning up work areas to take pictures! No, not me! This is the real world. Notice the polka dotted quilt over the sofa so doggie nails don't puncture the leather. I'm very anxious to get Mrs. Billings finished, yet and I am very sad to see this journey end. It's been great fun.

I put on the border to the Love Letters quilt and it's ready to go to Kari to baste it for me. I'll have another hand quilting project for these winter evenings. Let me tell ya - there may not be a better enticement to hand quilt a quilt than the polar vortex.

This quilt was designed by our colleagues Barb and Alma of Blackbird Designs. The pattern is in the book When The Cold Wind Blows. Pretty fitting. These sad photos are by me on this cold, snowy day.

I used a black fabric from our Bar Harbor line and some turkey reds from the Howard Marcus collection Friendship. I also used some other turkey reds, blues and yellows from a long gone Windham Fabrics collection. I just need to piece the back. This quilt is pretty big.

Also - We are going to be having a sale in our Etsy Store on Cyber Sunday and Monday. Everything there will be 20% off for those 2 days. It might be nice to stock up on hoops, needles, and patterns before the next snow storm.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Debbie is the winner of the Because Of The Brave Fat Eighth Bundle. Debbie said "I am planning on making a quilt for my son to mark his retirement from the Army and his 20 years of service. Thanks for the opportunity." Debbie has already been emailed. Thanks everyone!I hope all of you have seen the art installation at the Tower Of London. Here are some pictures....

In honor of Remembrance Day in England, artists Paul Cummins and Tom Piper made over 888,000 ceramic poppies and installed them at the Tower of London. Each poppy represents a British or Commonwealth soldier lost in WWI. Today is the last day of the installation. What a beautiful and incredibly moving display.We hope you remember those who have served today.In another little nod to Veterans Day here in the U.S. - I can recommend a book that I am listening to. It's called Monuments Men by Robert Edsel. It was also a movie recently. The movie was pretty good - but should have been better. The book is fascinating. I usually don't read non-fiction, but I'm glad I did this time. It tells the story of a small regiment of soldiers deployed late in WWII. They were all specialists of one kind or another, museum directors, artists, architects, and such. Their mission was to find, rescue, and take back monuments and works of art plundered by the Nazi's. I give it a big Minick and Simpson Thumbs UP!LatersLaurie

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Bill is at hockey all day and I'm done with my grocery shopping. I'm IN for the day. Just me, some Miss Marple videos and these...

I'm going to try something new for dinner. Something that Bill wouldn't like. I hope it's better than the last dinner I made. It was okay, but we have come to the conclusion that no matter how good the recipe is - we just do not like bean soup. I also tried "Sticky Pudding" as the British would say. We would call it date cake with toffee sauce here. It was very good - but OH MY - it was sweet. I'm afraid if we finish the cake between just the 2 of us - we will succumb to diabetes. Next time you have a family gathering, give each person a small sample -here is the recipe.

The recipe comes from Smitten Kitchen

Which brings me to the next thing on the agenda - shipping this month from Moda Fabrics is the Because Of The Brave fabric collection.

I have a Fat Eighth Bundle here. It's perfect for Quilts of Valor, Quilts of Honor, or for any little gift you want to make for someone who is currently serving, or has served. Make any comment about this fabric, or hexies, or bean soup, or even sticky pudding! and you could be the winner of this bundle. I will post the winner on November 11th - Veterans Day.

Saturday, November 1, 2014

The trip to the Farmer's Market this morning required a coat. I should have had gloves too. It's a beautiful, sunny, brisk day - the 1st of November. My basket was filled with apple cider and acorn squash. Tomorrow we will have stuffed squash for dinner.

It's time to announce who won the "goodie" bags from International Quilt Market!

klhBuckeye Quilter
Please email me HERE so I can get your addresses. The goodies will be on their way to you soon.

I'm just about done with my "to-do" list and I'm going to sit and stitch and catch up on all the shows I taped when I was in Houston. The first half of Death At Pemberley is waiting. I need to watch before the 2nd half of it airs tomorrow on Masterpiece Mystery.

After I catch up on printing, shipping, and such next week I will try to sketch out some new projects. We may or may not have something coming up that evokes antique bandannas. When I was perusing Pinterest today I came across this - a 19th century bandanna peddler of Russian descent. How amazing is her skirt!!